Four from Rosario Head

Rosario Head is the spit of land that separates Rosario Bay from Bowman Bay. We climbed up there after the tidepools. We saw a harbor seal (too far in the distance to photograph) and six quail (which photos didn't turn out).

We also saw a family of oystercatchers (Oren [Dad], Olive [Mom], Orville [Junior] and Olivia [Sis]). We sat and watched them for quite a while. The four of them walked around some intertidal rocks below our observation spot, far from the madding crowd. After a while, the two younger ones (whose beaks were shorter and less brilliant than the adults) settled down to nap while Oren stood guard. Olive disappeared, but returned a little while later with a limpet that she placed in front of Orville (or Olivia), neatly poked it twice with her beak, and then looked at Orville (or Olivia), who promptly ate it and then carried it around in his (or her) beak. Unfortunately, those pictures didn't turn out, so all you get is Oren striding about and thinking deep thoughts.

Adult oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)


( Found Rothko, bull kelp, and cliffside flowers )

All:
Rosario Head, Deception Pass State Park, WA
July, 2009

Three from Smiley's Bottom

Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)


( curves and honeybee on daisy )

All:
Smiley's Bottom, Anacortes, WA
July, 2009

Rosario Head II

Wednesday morning, on our way back home, we stopped at Rosario Beach again. The same women were there, so we said hello and chatted for a bit.

Now here are some cool and cloudy photos for such a sweltering day.

Deception Island in Fog


( Marine Layer )

Four from Deception Pass

This is the last batch of pictures.

I was really fascinated by the current of Deception Pass. It can reach several knots, and there were plenty of whirlpools and eddies throughout the channel that we could see. That's one the fascinating things about tides, to me: How different they are. At Edmonds ferry terminal, it came in quickly, each wave reaching a little higher than the previous, the water staying a little further up the shore between waves. At Rosario Beach, the tides were a gentle sigh. Every so often, the water would move and you'd notice the tide was higher. At Deception Pass, the tide was a torrent.

Deception Pass and Sailboat


( Mt. Baker, garter snake, and millipede )